Half an hour later, the park was nearly deserted, and all 6,000 eggs were gone.

A number of eggs were “golden eggs.” They contained golden coins that kids could redeem for stuffed bunny toys.

Kaia Bollmeier, 4, of Blaine, looked up at her dad incredulously as she opened each egg, then paused to appreciate her candy haul. After opening several eggs, to speed up the process, dad Jeff Bollmeier told her that there would likely be candy in every one.

Griffin Schlichting, 2, of Ham Lake, had to be convinced to greet the Easter Bunny. With a little nudge from mom and encouragement from sister Sydney, 4, he managed to smile while mom took a photo.

Spring Lake Park held its first Easter egg hunt, co-sponsored by the SLP Parks and Recreation Department and Lions.

Three hundred kids rooted through different areas of the park. Children ages 2-4 hunted first for eggs in plain sight. Next, 5-7 year olds searched for eggs that were hidden a little more cleverly. Finally, the oldest age group, 8-12, had a chance to gather eggs.

When Aaron Breedlove, 8, of Mounds View, finished collecting eggs, he saw a girl walking away from the park who hadn’t found any herself. He offered some of his, and she walked away grinning.

Chad and Carrie Sogge weren’t going to be able to spend Easter with their kids, Cheyenne, Eden and Wyatt, when the children went to spend the holiday with their other set of parents, the Sogges said. Having the hunt the weekend before Easter allowed them to have their own celebration a week early, Chad Sogge said.

Stephanie Schlichting tries to convince her son, Griffin, 2, to pose for a picture with the Easter Bunny, while her daughter, Sydney, 4, watches. The Bunny gives Griffin a thumbs up to further encourage him.